The random ponderings of a thoroughbred racing tragic

TAB stuff-ups mar weekend

Where to begin? If the Lions got a “did not achieve” grade for their tour opener in Whangarei, then the TAB probably had to join them in the dunce’s corner, such were the number and level of stuff-ups over the weekend.

Last week adverts for the TAB’s betting app started appearing during the peak news hour on mainstream TV. Given the app is seriously limited when it comes to racing, one would hope that the sports side of it is living up to expectations.

Whichever 12-year-old designed the racing facet of the app needs a Racing 101 immersion course. WTF is the point of having a little heart “like” option for a horse? I don’t want to be its friend and I’m sure as hell not swiping right – if I am looking at it then I am potentially thinking of putting some money on it.

Of course, if I am contemplating betting on it then I also might want to reacquaint myself with who trains it; its breeding; liking for that particular track; record over the distance; and preference for that going. In that case, the app provides me with what my old ex-Marine mate used to refer to as Sweet Fanny Apples.

I can only use the app in conjunction with say, The Informant, which provides all that (and more) information. Or, if I am sitting at home mid-week watching Trackside (with the mute button pressed – yes, that blog is coming!) then I need to have the TAB site open on my laptop to get the info which might convince me to have a bet. Though I am now very wary of the accuracy of what is provided there.

Not enough that the app the TAB is now promoting to the great unwashed has limited information but for a large part of Saturday afternoon it was impossible to access. At the same time the internet site was down and the only betting option left was touchtone betting – 0800 from a landline, but not from mobile – or try and find one of the few remaining TAB outlets.

I gave up.

In between watching races just to see what happened, the discussion moved to Sunday morning’s running of The Derby at Epsom. Checking out the field later that night on the TAB’s site provided much entertainment, well it would have been entertaining if we weren’t so gobsmacked that they could get things SO wrong.

Sir Peter Vela’s runner, Eminent was expected to improve on his effort in the Guineas and might have carried some purely parochial Kiwi money. However, the TAB had managed to confuse the son of Frankel with the David Vandyke-trained Choisir two-year-old.

Nowhere at the TAB did alarm bells ring where someone might have said, “hey, this is a bit of a big step up from a 1200m race on the Gold Coast to 2040m in the other hemisphere.”

Neil Ridley must’ve got a hell of a shock too, to look at the field as see his three-year-old Per Incanto filly Capri was, in spite of her 45 rating, tackling the English classic at her fourth race day start.

What sort of muppets are they employing in Petone these days?

A payroll of $66 million at the NZ Racing Board and they can’t seem to get the basics right. At least the Lions had the tried-and-true excuse of jet lag!